Bank Strike Cripples Business and Commercial Activities in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Business and commercial activities across the State were paralysed on Wednesday as employees of public sector and private banks went on a two-day strike to protest against the proposed Banking Sector Reform Bill.

The strike call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine unions of employees and officers of PSU banks.

Among other things, the employees are protesting against banking sector reforms and unilateral implementation of the Khandelwal Committee report on human resources management in PSU banks.

The strike is also opposing outsourcing of work to outside agencies, closure of rural bank branches and other ‘anti-labour’ policies which would pose a threat to jobs in the banking sector and undermine collective bargaining strength of the employees.

Normal banking activities were crippled in all state run and some private banks. Among the operations hit include clearing of all types of cheques, bank lockers operations and other activities carried out through banks.

Source: 360 NS